Galilee Diary: Sound reflections
by Marc Rosenstein
URJ Receives $5 Million Gift From Heller Family To Enhance Transformational NFTY-EIE High School in Israel Program
New York, NY, October 19, 2016 – The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) announced today that the Heller family of Scotch Plains, NJ, has made an endowment gift of $5 million to fund the NFTY-EIE High School in Israel Program, which is being renamed URJ Heller High: Isaac and Helaine Heller EIE High School in Israel. This is the largest gift in EIE history, and the URJ’s largest non-capital gift.
Teaching Children about Asking Forgiveness (Slicha)
Lessons from Camp Newman About Your Congregation’s “Why”
In today’s world, congregations’ mission statements have to include a clear statement of why we need worship, education, and a communal Reform Jewish experience.
The Making of a Covenant with Men and Women
Almost 25 years after God calls Abram to leave his home in Mesopotamia and go to the land of Canaan, God formally establishes a covenant with him (Genesis 17:4ff.). Like that established with Noah, his descendants, and all living beings (9:8ff.), it is unconditional, everlasting, includes blessings and promises, and carries with it a sign decided upon by God. However, unlike the rainbow, placed in the clouds and passively received by humanity, the sign of God's covenant with Abraham — male circumcision — is something with which Abram and his descendants, not God, are entrusted. They are to circumcise their sons and other male children in their household on the eighth day after birth as a physical sign of the covenant. The punishment for failing to do so is severe. "An uncircumcised male who has not circumcised the flesh of his foreskin," says God, " … shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant" (17:14).
Game On! How Baseball and Judaism Are Connected
Clearly, there’s a hidden connection between Judaism and our favorite national pastime - and as a diehard Cubs fan, I hope our wait is over. Play ball!
A Satisfaction Survey for the Jewish New Year
As we turn to the start of a new Jewish year, perhaps we can be inspired by the all-too-familiar customer satisfaction survey to evaluate our spiritual lives.
Will Borscht Ever Remind My Kids of Me?
My kids would rather starve than eat a blintz or other food with roots in the shtetls of Eastern Europe. They’ll have to find other ways to connect to their Jewish past.
In the Beginning...
As an inveterate - my wife would say obsessive - participant in on-line discussions, list-servs, Facebook, and blogs, I was interested to learn in a recent thread on iWorship that not all Reform congregations follow the Torah reading protocol for Rosh Hashanah set forth in Gates of Rep
7 Webinars You Should Attend Through the End of November
As the holidays wind down and your congregational leaders look forward to focusing on important aspects of congregational life, here are seven upcoming URJ webinars that should be on your radar.